LAHORE: The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Thursday extended the interim bail of the former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan in two cases after allowing him to join the proceedings of his interim bail pleas through a video link.
Anti-Terrorism Court Judge Ijaz Ahmed Buttar announced the its verdict reserved earlier, and granted Imran Khan’s request to attend the proceedings through video link for one day.
During the proceedings, Judge Ejaz Ahmed Buttar questioned: “If he allows Imran to mark his attendance through video link, what if he is not home.” The PTI chief lawyer Salman Safdar responded that Imran’s presence could be ensured by sending over a court representative.
The counsel for PTI chief Imran Khan told the court that there are threats to his client’s life and submitted documents of the threats in the court.
“You want to have TV programs be conducted on me,” the judge remarked. “If I allow the attendance on video link, you will present my judgment in the entire country,” judge Buttar observed.
The court asked why unlike other former prime ministers, PTI Chief Imran Khan has such serious threats to his life. “If the bail plea is disposed of on the video link then how will the authorities be able to arrest Imran Khan,” the judge asked.
As this, Barrister Salman Safdar assured the court that PTI chief Imran Khan will present “himself to the court whenever it is required.”
During the hearing, the prosecutor remarked that he was unaware of anything about the threat to Imran Khan. “The police can better comment on this,” he added.
Furthermore, the anti-terrorism court extended the interim bail of the former prime minister till May 4 in two cases and accepted the plea to appear before the court via video link.
Earlier, the Islamabad police summoned former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan for an investigation into nine cases registered against him.
All cases against the PTI chief are being investigated by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD).
